


The Curious Case of Raphael Santiago

by Whoareyou0000



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Asexual Raphael Santiago, Asexual Relationship, Asexuality, Asexuality Spectrum, Canon Asexual Character, Coming Out, Falling In Love, Homoromantic Raphael Santiago, Hurt Simon Lewis, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Simon Lewis, M/M, POV Simon Lewis, Pansexual Simon Lewis, Pre-Relationship, Protective Raphael Santiago, Raphael Santiago Has Feelings, Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago Fluff, Vampire Simon Lewis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24776176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whoareyou0000/pseuds/Whoareyou0000
Summary: Raphael remains by his fledgling's side at Dumort every weekend while the rest of the clan goes out to the club. Simon, ever curious, investigates Raphael's motives while his own emerging feelings and attractions blossom just beneath the surface.
Relationships: Simon Lewis/Raphael Santiago
Comments: 8
Kudos: 259





	The Curious Case of Raphael Santiago

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything. 
> 
> Author's Note: I started watching Shadowhunters after I learned about Raphael's asexuality, as I myself am asexual. There are so few canon asexual characters in the media and I've enjoyed watching Raphael and reading the fanfic regarding his orientation. Anyway, here is my contribution. For the purposes of this fic, Raphael is homoromantic. Enjoy and let me know how I did!

Simon had begun to suspect that Raphael was a homebody. 

He’d first noticed it when the other vampires decided to head to Pandemonium for a night of dancing and Bloody Marys. Lily approached the stiff leather couch, a black dress hugging her every curve. Her rose red lips turned into a sinister smile as she lowered herself to the armrest beside the clan leader and placed a soft hand on his shoulder.

“Raphael, come with us. You need a night away from this dank hotel and…” She cast a glare at the pile of paperwork spread across the table and then lifted her eyes to the fledgling on the other side of the couch. “…work.” 

Simon instinctively dropped his eyes, pulled his knees up to protect his chest, and forcefully focused on the Superman comic burrowed within his lap. 

Raphael’s eyes never left the forms beneath his pen. He gave a weighted sigh and moved away from her manipulating touch. 

“I have too much to finish here, Lily. You should go, enjoy the night.” 

Lily rolled her eyes and gave a light chuckle. “oh, I will.” She gracefully swung her body down from the couch’s ledge and tapped the floor with razor sharp heels on her way out. She cast one last glance back, catching Simon’s lingering stare.

“You’re not invited, fledgling. Only adults are allowed at this party.” 

The heavy wooden door shut behind her and the hotel descended into a calming silence. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Raphael’s pen scribbled along the page and soothed Simon’s suddenly insecurity. The older vampire’s face never stirred from stern and serene. He flipped the page over without even a glance in Simon’s direction and spoke with confidence. 

“Lily can be…intense. Just ignore her, Baby.”

……..

After that day, Simon paid attention to Raphael’s list of reasons to stay in.

Usually it involved paperwork of some kind. Simon suspected that a boarded up, condemned hotel could not require that much documentation to remain standing. When Raphael led him around the entire hotel to check every smoke detector one night, he grew suspicious. Vampires did despise fire, though, so it sort of made sense. Then, Raphael presented another obligation (cough…excuse) that threw Simon completely. 

Laundry.

It had never occurred to him that vampires required such mundane services until he found himself sitting atop a trembling washing machine scrubbing at a blood stain the size of his fist. His fearless clan leader bent over an industrial dryer and retrieved the less delicate of his fabrics from within the damp mouth. He wore a white cotton shirt with the long sleeves unevenly pulled up to his elbows, exposing muscled forearms and a thin layer of dark hair. One shirttail threatened to come loose from his black jeans as he shifted armloads into a waiting basket. 

Simon’s body warmed at the domesticity of it all. 

“We should totally have our own TV show.” He mocked the cheesy voice of the movie trailer voiceover guy. “Two vampires, one handsome and surly and the other adorable and whimsical, run a hotel together and have all kinds of wacky adventures. Rated R for ingestion of bodily fluids.”

Raphael’s humored snort echoed in the dryer. He pulled the last of the clothes and carried them over to a tiled counter, turning his back to Simon.

“I’m not _surly._ ” 

“Of course not, what was I thinking?” Simon took this as his chance to broach the topic that’d been eating away at his mind for weeks. “So, uh, how come you don’t like going to the club? Are you, like, an introvert or something? I mean, that’s cool and all, if you aren’t into big crowds.” 

Raphael made no effort to look at the fledgling. His usual tinge of irritation hid a deeper nervousness. 

“Who said I don’t like going to the club?” 

A few minutes passed while the older vampire contentedly steamed one of his suits with an iron. Finally, Simon accepted that as his answer. He carried the shirt he’d been scrubbing over to the sink and washed the soap out beneath room temperature water. Then he turned with an unnecessary sigh. 

“Uh, no one.” Simon tried to bite his tongue; he really did. “It’s just that the last few weeks you haven’t gone at all. I get that there’s an endless workload, or whatever, but it seems like if you’re the clan leader, then you can…like…delegate some of the chores. You know, like laundry for example.” 

Raphael faced Simon finally, an iron dangling from his right hand. His eyes narrowed in consideration. 

“Did it ever occur to you that I’m teaching you how to do the laundry so that I can delegate it to you next time, fledgling?”

Simon raised a challenging eyebrow. 

“Did it ever occur to you that I might already know how to do laundry?” Raphael’s face froze with his eyebrows laced, so Simon continued. “My mom was, uh, drunk a lot, and it turns out the kids bully you more often when your clothes stink. So, I’ve been washing my own novelty t-shirts since I was able to reach the counter.”

The clan leader worked his jaw, eyes so serious and sad. Simon shifted on his feet and swallowed the dregs of the confession. 

“I didn’t mean…I don’t want your pity or anything. I just meant that you can delegate it to me next time, you know, if you want to go out and have fun.” 

Raphael relaxed his face and placed the iron on the counter. He took three strides across the room until they shared breathing space and snatched the damp shirt from Simon’s grasp. The fledgling caught the warmth in those eyes before they turned immediately away. 

“I have more important things to do at the moment than stand around a claustrophobic club with sweaty mundanes.” The iron hissed. “Besides, your comedic show doesn’t work if the _adorable_ vampire is without his handsome partner, now does it?”

Simon turned away and buried his embarressingly goofy smile in an armful of dry towels.

……..

Weeks passed. Their weekend routine solidified itself. Simon would seek Raphael out around late-evening, when the other vampires gathered in the lobby to head out into the world. The older vampire left his door unlocked and the fledgling entered without request, taking his usual spot on the couch with a comic book or maybe his guitar if he felt particularly creative. Sometimes Raphael did paperwork, other times he thumbed his way through a book or scribbled in a journal while tapping his foot to Simon’s strumming.

Simon all but abandoned his investigation, instead embracing the rare moments spent in his clan leader's calming presence. 

It was on one of those nights, while making his way to Raphael’s room, that Simon’s ears betrayed him. He had yet to master his supernatural hearing and he often found himself privy to private conversations without even trying. He always did his best to ignore them, but this time he tuned in at the mention of his nickname and the familiar voices of two of the clan's more popular vampires, Darren and Tate.

_It’s that needy fledgling. He’s like a puppy- blind, deaf, and can’t even feed himself properly. Raphael is stuck here babysitting him when he should be out hooking up and having fun with the clan like before. It’s such a waste._

_I would be clawing at the walls if I had to spend every night with that annoying, whiny nerdboy. Poor Raphael._

Simon’s dead heart sank into his stomach like a boulder dragging him down into the ocean. He dropped his notebook, gripped his chest and gasped. Suddenly, he craved fresh air. Three levels of stairs passed in a flash and he blew through the heavy outside door into the open ally. Sirens screamed nearby. A group of mundanes laughed as they passed by the mouth of the dirty alcove, one casting him a sideways glare.

Simon leaned against the course brick and sunk to the dirt. His cheeks wet with blood and he swiped angrily at them. 

“You’re so stupid.” He said to himself. “Of course he doesn’t love you. You’re just his burden to bear. No one loves you, not your mom, not Clary, and definitely not Raphael.” He raised a fist and struck it back against the wall. One, two, four times until the metallic scent of fresh blood assaulted his senses and prodded the vampire within. His fangs descended with hunger and his nervous system exploded.

Invisible electricity burned him from the inside out. Heartbeats assaulted him from all angles. Fast, slow, in-between. Covering his ears did nothing to dull the hammering. Eyes screwed shut, he swallowed a mouthful of bitter saliva and bit deeply into his own tongue to satisfy the craving. His own frigid blood hardly quelled the monster clawing at his thin barrier of self-control. It wanted a neck, an artery, warm mundane plasma. 

He knew at once that he could either give in or die resisting. 

Then two strong hands gripped his wrists. He opened his eyes to see Raphael kneeling before his trembling body. The normally expressionless, divine face creased with concern and serious eyes traveled over Simon’s face, arms, and neck, searching for something. He trembled under the scrutiny, his own blood dripping down his chin and staining the pavement. The assessing orbs returned to his face, satisfied with their conclusion, and then muscled arms slipped beneath his knees and shoulders. 

Once again, he drifted through the door, into the stale hotel, in the protective arms of his angel.

……..

Simon held tightly to the empty glass, caked in dried blood, and stared blankly at the loose thread hanging from the edge of his t-shirt.

“It’s too dangerous for you to leave the hotel by yourself. You have to gain control over your senses first. You have no way of defending yourself or stemming your bloodlust.”

“I’m sorry.” 

Simon bit his lip again, tasted a small drop of his own blood. His fangs did not quite fit in his mouth yet. This whole undead body hung loose on him like one of Raphael’s jackets. His newfound abilities came and went at their own choosing. It made him a danger to everyone he cared for, especially his clan. He did not belong anywhere and, hearing what his supposed new family actually thought of him, he feared he never would. 

“What were you thinking, _idiota?"_ The couch dipped and then Raphael’s hand appeared to take the empty glass and place it on the side table. “Why did you run away?” 

“I wasn’t thinking, just feeling.” Simon shrugged. “I…I don’t fit in here. I can’t even fend for myself. I’m not any better at this vampire thing than I was the day I died and it’s…it’s not fair that you have to babysit me all the time when you could be going out and hooking up with hot guys…or girls…I don’t know where you fall on the spectrum. You just, you deserve way more than a stupid fledgling trailing behind you like a lost puppy.” 

A heavy silence blanketed Raphael’s room. Then the clan leader broke it with an honest-to-god laugh. He laughed so hard that it shook the couch. Simon steadied himself on crossed legs and fixed the other vampire with a teary-eyed glare. 

“Wonderful. I’m so happy that my insecurities amuse you.” 

“Dios, Simon.” The laughter turned into a smile so genuine and beautiful that it nearly knocked the fledgling back. “I’m asexual. I do feel romantic attraction sometimes, but I have no interest in sex with anyone of any gender.” 

Simon blinked his wide eyes at the revelation. He formed words, forgot them, and then tried again after an unnecessary breath. 

“Oh.” He gaped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I mean, I’m not sorry that you’re asexual. That’s awesome. I’m just sorry that I assumed…”

A cold hand came up and cradled Simon’s cheek. Raphael fixed him with a gentle smile.

“It’s okay. No one knows, other than Magnus. I never liked going to that club. I pretended with the clan when I first joined because it was just easier at the time. I didn’t really have the terms to describe myself yet and asexuality wasn’t widely known. Now, the whole charade is becoming exhausting.” He dropped his hand and let it linger on Simon’s knee briefly. “It’s been nice, having someone here to spend my days with, someone I can be myself around.” 

Simon snorted and turned his crumbling face to his lap, hiding the sudden weight on his heart. 

“Yea, I get it. Clary always used me as an alibi when she wanted to go out with some douchebag without her mom knowing. Being the cover guy is kind of my superpower...I mean other than the vampire stuff.”

Raphael stiffened. Simon raised his head to find beautiful brown eyes pinning him with paralyzing intensity. 

“Is that what you think I’m doing? Using you?” Raphael’s hand traveled down Simon’s knee to still his fidgeting fingers. “Baby, no. I look forward to the weekends because I get you all to myself. Having you close, safe, it feels good and right. When you didn’t show up today, when I couldn’t find your scent in the hotel, well I’ve never been so scared. I was ready to kill anyone to get to you. I’ve never felt like this before and I think maybe this is how it feels to…to love someone.” 

Simon swore that his heart fluttered. He took in a haggard breath, an attempt to tame the foreign feeling. Then Raphael stiffened, cleared his throat, and backpedaled.

 _“Lo siento._ It’s okay if you don’t like men, or if my orientation doesn’t give you what you need. I never intended to pressure you or make you uncomfortable in your home.” He removed his hand and stood, making his way to the other side of the room to stare out the window. “You’re doing well, Simon. You’ve improved so much in the last month. There is more for you to learn, but that’s completely normal. You have no reason to be insecure and if anyone in this clan is making you feel that way, then I hope you’ll tell me so that I can take care of it.”

Raphael’s shoulders sagged and his head dipped just enough to shock Simon back to life. The clan leader who always stood so tall and proud suddenly became _Raphael,_ the person who protected Simon, brought him back from death, and gave him a reason to keep living. The beautiful man who listened to Simon’s ramblings, brought him blood in bed on his bad days, and instinctively appeared whenever Simon needed support. 

The man he’d begun falling for on the very first day of his undead life.

With that, Simon stood. He marched the ten steps across the room and stopped just short of colliding with the older vampire. Raphael about faced and they were suddenly so close that their toes touched. Simon’s body tingled as he met those breathtakingly sad eyes with a warm smile and fists clenched at his sides.

“I think…no I’m definitely pansexual. I’m also falling in love with you.” Raphael’s lips quirked. “It’s cool, that you’re asexual and I’m definitely up for being your cover guy all the time because you’re, like, my favorite person in the world and all I want is to be with you even if we just read in separate corners and fight over who’s the better Batman. Though I still stand by my decision that Adam West, while hilarious, was annoyingly campy.”

Raphael straightened and his cheeks turned a stunning shade of pastel pink. Then he rolled his eyes affectionately and grew a smile that turned Simon’s world right side up again. 

“I suppose I can give Christian Bale another chance, if it’s so important to you.” 

“You do listen to my rants! I knew it.” Simon’s body vibrated at the reference. Raphael gave a humored shrug that left Simon smiling foolishly. “So, um, I don’t have much experience with relationships, at least not two-sided ones, and I’m not exactly sure what qualifies as sex for you. Um, what do we do now?” 

Raphael reached out and hesitantly brushed his fingers over Simon’s in question. 

“Well, pequeño, we can start by holding hands.” Simon eagerly linked all ten of their fingers together, initiating a quiet chuckle from his new partner. “Then, maybe we can sit together, watch a movie, and go from there?” 

Simon screwed his lips, pretending to consider the offer, and then broke out into a huge grin.

“Okay, just no DC universe. Our first official date movie should not be depressing. It’s bad luck.” 

Raphael led Simon over to the bed and waited patiently as he chose a movie on his laptop. Then they joined their hands once again, rested their arms on their nearly overlapping thighs, and argued about Iron Man’s motivations. 

When Simon’s head fell onto Raphael’s shoulder during one of his rare quiet moments, the older vampire simply sighed contentedly and squeezed his hand tighter.

……..

The following weekend, Simon was surprised to find Darren and Tate not in their usual clubbing clothes. The two men, both the embodiment of every 80’s douchebag frat boy, pushed laundry carts down the hallway and kept their eyes trained on the floor when the fledgling passed.

Simon smiled to himself and simply shook his head when Raphael offered no explanation other than a simple confirmation. 

“I took your advice and delegated so that I could have fun with my boyfriend.”

That earned the older vampire a lingering hug, with full consent of course, and an episode of Adam West’s Batman.


End file.
